The Committee for Justice (CFJ) asserted that the independence and effectiveness of the National Council for Human Rights were the two essential pillars for achieving genuine human rights reforms in Egypt, noting that the council’s performance should have been assessed based primarily on its adherence to the Paris Principles for National Human Rights Institutions.
This statement came during the participation of CFJ’s Executive Director, Ahmed Mefreh, in a roundtable organized by Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights on Sunday, March 9, titled “Challenges Facing Civil Society and Human Rights Activists.”
During the event, Mefreh explained that since 2015, CFJ had been monitoring the council’s performance and submitting periodic reports to the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) to evaluate the council’s compliance with the Paris Principles. Through these reports, CFJ assessed the council’s ability to fulfill its duties, its commitment to independence and effectiveness, and the challenges that had hindered its work. It also recommended possible ways to improve its performance in accordance with international standards.
– Challenges Faced by the Council:
The Executive Director of CFJ highlighted that despite its mandated role, the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt faced several major challenges that hindered its ability to bring about tangible change in the human rights landscape. Among the most significant challenges was the issue of independence and neutrality. The process of appointing council members was influenced by political factors, which had compromised the independence of its decisions. Additionally, while coordination with government authorities was important, it had limited the council’s ability to take independent stances on sensitive human rights issues, affecting its credibility and effectiveness.
Regarding the council’s effectiveness in addressing severe violations, Mefreh noted that the council had struggled to respond seriously to issues such as torture and enforced disappearances, which undermined public trust in its ability to protect citizens’ rights. Restrictions on visits to detention facilities, such as prisons and holding centers, had further hindered independent monitoring and documentation of violations, limiting the council’s ability to fully perform its role.
Mefreh also pointed out that the council had suffered from weak engagement with both local and international civil society organizations. The lack of strong cooperation with these organizations had diminished the council’s impact and its ability to promote human rights. Additionally, the absence of public awareness campaigns about the council’s role had left citizens unaware of their rights or how to seek the council’s assistance in cases of abuse.
On the matter of funding and resources, Mefreh explained that the council’s heavy reliance on government funding had affected its independence and limited its ability to criticize human rights violations freely. Furthermore, a shortage of qualified staff specialized in monitoring, documentation, and human rights reporting had negatively impacted the quality of the council’s reports, weakening its ability to drive meaningful change.
Mefreh emphasized that the absence of political will remained the greatest challenge facing the National Council for Human Rights. Without a clear political decision to support comprehensive reforms in the human rights sector, relevant institutions — including the council — had remained limited in their influence and unable to achieve substantial change.
– Proposed Solutions to Strengthen the Council’s Role:
To enhance the role of Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights, CFJ’s Executive Director suggested several practical measures, including strengthening the council’s independence by revising the mechanism for appointing its members to ensure the selection of independent and competent figures. He also advocated for introducing legislation that protected the council from government interference.
Furthermore, Mefreh emphasized the need to expand the council’s powers to conduct unrestricted visits to detention facilities and issue transparent reports on issues such as torture and enforced disappearances to improve its effectiveness in addressing violations.
To improve cooperation with civil society, Mefreh proposed establishing regular dialogue platforms and launching awareness campaigns to increase public knowledge of the council’s role. Additionally, to ensure financial independence, he recommended diversifying the council’s funding sources through international support and independent organizations while developing staff capabilities through specialized training programs.
To address the lack of political will, Mefreh suggested leveraging international pressure mechanisms, such as submitting reports to the United Nations and encouraging major countries to link economic aid to human rights improvements. He also advocated for achieving incremental gains by pushing for the release of political detainees, improving prison conditions, and strengthening cooperation with trade unions and labor movements.
